LUXURY SAFARI LODGE – TONGABEZI, LIVINGSTONE, ZAMBIA

DAY 2 OF OUR AFRICAN ADVENTURE

Tongabezi is one of Livingstone’s most luxurious safari lodges. Located on a stunning part of the Zambezi river, 15km west of the town centre. The lodge is owned by Ben and Vanessa Parker who I am hoping to meet during our stay here. We get taken back by boat from our private island to Tongabezi where we are staying for the next two nights:-

This is the approach to the jetty and the “lookout” where you can eat, work or relax, whilst admiring the view:-

The room with the view:-

Then the boys go fishing for Tiger Fish whilst I get taken to the local game park. I am keen to see the rare white rhinos they have recently brought in from South Africa, but we don’t find them. Beyond that, Mosi-oa-Tunya National park ($10 entry fee) is small and disappointing with decidedly under nourished animals – of course this is the worst time of year to see the animals – it is very dry and there isn’t much food left around for them.

Basically the general advice in this area is stick to the river. It is stunningly beautiful and there is much to see and do – guided sunrise and sunset tours, fishing, canoeing, birdwatching… save the animal watching for areas of Zambia better known for its game – Kafue and South Luangwa National Parks for example, as well as the lower Zambezi National Park, where we are going next.

The camp is just stunning and they have a very relaxed approach to what you want to do – a massive array of choice and they will sort out what you want to do whenever you want to do it. The service and the food here is out of this world. We stayed in their Garden Cottage – ideal for the three of us – it didn’t overlook the river, but was very private, with a sitting room, dining room and our own plunge pool.

We did a wonderful sunset cruise with arguably the best gin and tonic I have ever had, which helped me to slowly unwind and take in all the beautiful scenery along the riverbank. I am already feeling that warm breeze stripping away the outer layer of my skin. Beginning to feel more free and childlike and open to what Africa does best – teaches you to expect the the unexpected and embrace the elements:-

Elephants on the riverbanks:-

Birds:-

Sunset G & T moment captured perfectly:-

We have a delicious evening meal and then sit round the campfire and chat with some of the other guests – who of course, as it turned out live near us in London – one of the girls went to the same school as my daughter….scarily small world. We had been previously warned about hippos in camp so it was very exciting to be invited by one of the guides to sneak up on one of the hippos who had meandered into camp to quietly observe him grazing on some grass near where we were sitting. A single file of us tiptoed up the moonlit path to watch him eat. Tiptoed that was until I tripped over my flipflop and did a 360 degree roll off the path and onto the grass where the hippo was eating. Not the cleverest thing to do. Not sure who was more surprised – me, my brothers or the hippo. I tried to style it out – pretended that I was doing my hippo impression, got up again and carried on. Of course that didn’t work. Relentless piss taking over the next few days. Deservedly so.

After a wonderful evening with my brothers I was brave enough to sleep in my sumptuous double bed, in my room WITH NO DOORS, surrounded by a floaty mosquito netting. I felt like a queen and promptly fell into one of the deepest, most luxurious sleeps that I have ever had.